What is cruelty-free silk fabric?
We're proud to announce that soon, we'll be one of the few brands in the world making cruelty-free silk products. We've been working on this collection for over two years, and we can't wait to bring it to you. Stay tuned for the limited collection launching in a few weeks, and a pre-order option will drop to our email subscribers first so make sure to sign up!
So we've all heard of silk and the fact that it's sustainable. But, have you ever stopped to think about what silk actually is made from?
What is traditional silk made out of? Warning: graphic details ahead...
Mulberry silk is made from the silkworms of the Bombyx mori moth. The moth lays about 500 eggs, and then it dies. The tiny moth eggs are kept at 65 degrees Fahrenheit with the temperature slowly and carefully raised to 75 degrees Fahrenheit to hatch the eggs.
The silkworms are then fed exclusively mulberry leaves until they've increased their weight about 10,000 times and have built strength to begin weaving cocoons.
The traditional process of silk production involves boiling the intact cocoons of silkworms and unwinding the silk strand so that the silk fibers do not break. However, that means that the silkworm dies in the process. Most of the insects raised by and for the silk industry don't live past the pupa stage and are steamed or gassed alive in their cocoons. According to Peta.com, at least 2,500 silkworms are killed to make every pound of silk.
For this reason alone, we've been researching for years and on the hunt for a cruelty-free silk supplier so we can offer a new sustainable fabric option in our collection!
What is cruelty-free silk and how is it produced?
Peace silk, also known as Ahimsa silk is a process that allows the silkworm to emerge from their cocoon free and happy and complete their natural life cycle. The empty cocoons are then used to produce silk. Peace silk worms feed off of castor leaves.
Cruelty-free silk is not a vegan fabric, however, it's animal-friendly and unlike traditional silk, silkworms are not killed in the process to make it.
The cruelty-free peace silk we source is a 100% natural and certified organic fabric, made by small family farms in rural india.
To our knowledge, the peace silk we source is the only cruelty-free peace-silk satin - the first of its kind! Unlike traditional silk with a shiny satin texture, our peace-silk satin has a soft, lightweight texture with a creamy off-white natural sheen.
Perks to both cruelty-free and traditional silk: Both types of silk production are considered to have very low water footprint and produce almost zero percent waste. Silk is biodegradable (just like the bamboo and organic cotton fabrics we use) unlike synthetic materials, and silk doesn’t emit toxins while it biodegrades like synthetic materials do. Silk also has naturally healthy and hypoallergenic qualities.
Silk - and even cruelty-free silk that we use for our products - is very durable despite the belief that it must be dry-cleaned. The beautiful buttery texture with a sheen is deceiving, but our cruelty-free silk products may be washed and dried. Expect a small shrinkage, though, if planning to machine dry.
This collection will launch in a few weeks. Make sure to sign up for our email newsletter here so you don't miss the exclusive pre-order option plus upcoming sales and events!
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